I noted how Vladimir seemed to be watching Jacques closely. It was as if he were trying to place him. I was relieved when James hurried back in with our cases, and Inglorious was at his heels with several other suitcases.
“I grabbed yours,” he said to Rosie.
“Where’s mine?” Calamity demanded.
There was a thud as Drake dropped it as he entered. “Right here, you ungrateful brat.”
“Yeah, okay, old man,” Calamity retorted, and I choked back a laugh. Their banter was normal, which was a relief.
We twisted to face Eden when another bang and a howl echoed through the house.
“What the hell was that?” Drake demanded, his eyes narrowing.
“Probably the wind. A branch might have broken a window. Eden, my love, take them to their rooms. There is food in the kitchen. You can reach it through that door, and that one leads to a sitting room. Wood for your fires can be found in that hallway over there,” Jacques said, pointing to several exits.
“Stay in the areas we’ve mentioned. We won’t be able to guarantee your safety otherwise,” Eden added.
“Got it,” I muttered. “No wandering around the creepy-assed house.”
“Exactly,” Eden replied and bared her teeth in a smile.
Maggie
“Lucian, I don’t like this,” I murmured as we entered the bedroom that Eden offered us. With a nod, we slipped past, and she shut the door.
“No, something is certainly strange,” Lucian agreed. He put a finger to his lips and opened the door. Daniel and Sabine were next to us, and as he looked, they both appeared.
“Give us twenty minutes and we’ll meet in your room. Lock the door,” Daniel ordered.
Lucian rolled his eyes and peered down the hallway. He pulled back and shut the door.
“Everyone’s being given rooms on this hallway,” he murmured.
“All of us?”
“Yes, Eden is allocating bedrooms. She wants us kept together, it appears,” Lucian mused.
“Lucian, I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” I replied and shivered.
“Come on, darling, let’s find you a bath,” Lucian said. I glanced around the bedroom we were in. It was rather depressing, but once it had been elegant. Dark-red satin paper hung on the walls. There was dust everywhere again, although it seemed cobweb-free.
“Blast,” Lucian hissed, and I followed him through a door. There was a filthy bath, which wrinkled my nose at, but there was a shower stall. It must have been fitted decades ago, but I hoped it would work. My bones were feeling the chill.
Lucian scowled and headed back out into the bedroom. I wondered what he was doing, but then he brought in a towel for me to stand on.
“Your feet aren’t touching that base. Let me see if the water works and is hot, my love,” he said. Cold, I nodded and shivered once more. Lucian turned the tap on, and we both jumped away as dirty water spurted out of the shower head.
“Oh, gross,” I cried.
“It’s clearing,” Lucian stated a few moments later. He wasn’t wrong. The water was starting to clear.
“Is it hot?” I asked.
“Yes, come on, before it gets cold.”
“Shower with me,” I ordered as I stripped out of my wet clothing. Lucian’s eyes gleamed, and I rolled mine. “No hanky-panky, Lucian. We need to get warm quickly.”
“I can warm you up,” Lucian offered, and I laughed and got under the shower. Lucian brought our washing items, and we quickly showered. The hot water chased the chill away, and aware of others needing it, we climbed out quickly.
